Shake Up Shared Reading

Expanding on Read Alouds to Encourage Student Independence
Maria P. Walther
Corwin Literacy
Shake Up Shared Reading
January 2022 | 288 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781071872215
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781071844830
Available from January 0001

Description

The joyful path from rich read-aloud experiences toward supporting young readers’ independence.

When young readers join their voices together in shared reading, their literacy skills and confidence soar. Shared reading surrounds students with the language of stories and the delight of learning in community.

In Shake Up Shared Reading, veteran teacher Maria Walther offers teachers a simple but robust scaffolding for moving from teacher-led demonstration of read aloud to student-led discovery of literacy skills—across the bridge of shared reading. This easily adaptable structure features short, targeted bursts of shared reading that are connected to and planned as a follow-up to a read-aloud experience. The resource includes:

  • Read-aloud experiences drawn from 50 recently published works of children’s literature from varied voices, that provide the foundation for the short, intensive shared reading interactions that follow.
  • 100 short, laser-focused bursts of shared reading, two for each title, that invite students to dig deeper, with a precise aim in mind—perfect for a variety of learning contexts including virtual settings.  
  • Key vocabulary, kid-friendly definitions, along with a Nudge Toward Independence section for each shared reading interaction help teachers connect shared reading to guided reading lessons and students’ independent literacy learning.
  • A companion website offering reproducibles and a Learning Target Chart that gives an at-a-glance view of every read aloud learning target and shared reading focus, along related titles and additional links.

Let the power of a read aloud and shared reading lead your students to read, talk, ponder, and react on the way to becoming joyful, independent readers.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

  • Chapter 1: Reading, Learning, and Talking Together
  • Chapter 2: Converse About Comprehension - Fiction
  • Chapter 3: Converse About Comprehension - Nonfiction
  • Chapter 4: Inspire Writers!

References

References

Description

The joyful path from rich read-aloud experiences toward supporting young readers’ independence.

When young readers join their voices together in shared reading, their literacy skills and confidence soar. Shared reading surrounds students with the language of stories and the delight of learning in community.

In Shake Up Shared Reading, veteran teacher Maria Walther offers teachers a simple but robust scaffolding for moving from teacher-led demonstration of read aloud to student-led discovery of literacy skills—across the bridge of shared reading. This easily adaptable structure features short, targeted bursts of shared reading that are connected to and planned as a follow-up to a read-aloud experience. The resource includes:

  • Read-aloud experiences drawn from 50 recently published works of children’s literature from varied voices, that provide the foundation for the short, intensive shared reading interactions that follow.
  • 100 short, laser-focused bursts of shared reading, two for each title, that invite students to dig deeper, with a precise aim in mind—perfect for a variety of learning contexts including virtual settings.  
  • Key vocabulary, kid-friendly definitions, along with a Nudge Toward Independence section for each shared reading interaction help teachers connect shared reading to guided reading lessons and students’ independent literacy learning.
  • A companion website offering reproducibles and a Learning Target Chart that gives an at-a-glance view of every read aloud learning target and shared reading focus, along related titles and additional links.

Let the power of a read aloud and shared reading lead your students to read, talk, ponder, and react on the way to becoming joyful, independent readers.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

  • Chapter 1: Reading, Learning, and Talking Together
  • Chapter 2: Converse About Comprehension - Fiction
  • Chapter 3: Converse About Comprehension - Nonfiction
  • Chapter 4: Inspire Writers!

References

References

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Shake Up Shared Reading

Expanding on Read Alouds to Encourage Student Independence

Maria P. Walther
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January 2022 | 288 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781071844830 $40.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781071872215 $37.00

The joyful path from rich read-aloud experiences toward supporting young readers’ independence.

When young readers join their voices together in shared reading, their literacy skills and confidence soar. Shared reading surrounds students with the language of stories and the delight of learning in community.

In Shake Up Shared Reading, veteran teacher Maria Walther offers teachers a simple but robust scaffolding for moving from teacher-led demonstration of read aloud to student-led discovery of literacy skills—across the bridge of shared reading. This easily adaptable structure features short, targeted bursts of shared reading that are connected to and planned as a follow-up to a read-aloud experience. The resource includes:

  • Read-aloud experiences drawn from 50 recently published works of children’s literature from varied voices, that provide the foundation for the short, intensive shared reading interactions that follow.
  • 100 short, laser-focused bursts of shared reading, two for each title, that invite students to dig deeper, with a precise aim in mind—perfect for a variety of learning contexts including virtual settings.  
  • Key vocabulary, kid-friendly definitions, along with a Nudge Toward Independence section for each shared reading interaction help teachers connect shared reading to guided reading lessons and students’ independent literacy learning.
  • A companion website offering reproducibles and a Learning Target Chart that gives an at-a-glance view of every read aloud learning target and shared reading focus, along related titles and additional links.

Let the power of a read aloud and shared reading lead your students to read, talk, ponder, and react on the way to becoming joyful, independent readers.


Table Of Contents:

  • Acknowledgements
  • Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1: Reading, Learning, and Talking Together
  • Chapter 2: Converse About Comprehension - Fiction
  • Chapter 3: Converse About Comprehension - Nonfiction
  • Chapter 4: Inspire Writers!
  • References

Recent Product Reviews:

Dr. Maria Walther speaks and write from the lens of a practitioner with deep knowledge and respect for the classroom. This power-packed instructional resource spotlights enticing examples of high-quality children’s literature, provides engaging read aloud experiences, and offers one hundred aligned “bursts” of shared reading. There is a consistent emphasis on supporting students through human-centered lessons that balance social-emotional learning alongside literacy learning. Moreover, this invaluable resource seamlessly integrates phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and oral language with reading and writing. I have no doubt that this professional text will guide educators in all settings as they build community, cultivate classroom conversation, and support learners in a variety of joyful literacy learning experiences.
Pamela Koutrakos
Shake Up Shared Reading is truly a multipurpose literacy resource and a gift to the teaching community. With tremendous respect for limited instructional minutes and competing priorities, Maria Walther shares her wisdom, knowledge, and commitment to learning, combining research and authentic experiences with practicality, flexibility, and responsiveness. Walther is an incredible curator of important picture books, and you are guaranteed to find the book and the lesson you need right now; you will also build your own capacity to tap into the power of books for students’ development of empathy, citizenship, and literacy.
Melanie Meehan
Shake Up Shared Reading is the professional book we keep on our shelves and reach for as a forever reminder for what matters in the elementary classroom: purposeful and joyful reading experiences. Maria brings that joy to life in practical application with clear learning targets connected to 100 shared reading texts and connected lessons that grow student learning, in addition to blueprints for how to do it ourselves. Perhaps more than anything, I respect Maria's exaltation of varied voices in children's literature in order to ensure for students a more accurate, robust and truthful understanding of the world. This is a cornerstone text for now.
Nawal Qarooni Casiano
Maria Walther has done it again in her new book, Shake Up Shared Reading! In it, she takes a familiar and often underutilized strategy and shows us how to implement it in new and important ways. It is a much-needed update of how the practice of shared reading can be used to invite active participation, support multilingual learners, and playfully teach foundational skills. From the first page to the last, this book is packed with practical and simple ways to shake up shared reading using a variety of thoughtfully curated books that will create and nurture communities of readers.
April Larremore, Ed.D.
This book is a gift to early literacy educators yearning to infuse more joyful and engaging learning experiences into our classrooms. By introducing us to 50 of the latest and greatest picture books, Dr. Maria Walther provides the tools and structure needed to bridge read aloud and shared reading interactions.
Dr. Jill Culmo

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